Method for Production of Printed and Packaged Cloth Wipes

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a pre-packaged, pre-moistened cloth wipe, which is customized. The towel is made from a woven cloth material, which can be customized by printing logos, designs or words on the towel. The cloth wipe can be either disposable or reusable. The invention also relates to a method of making, printing, and packaging the cloth wipe.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/233,242, filed on Sep. 18, 2008, which application is incorporated herein in its entirety.

INTRODUCTION

The invention relates to a method for producing a pre-packaged, pre-moistened, customized towel. The towel is made from a woven cloth material, which is customized by printing branded or corporate logos, characters, designs, events, words, sayings or pictures on the towel. The process for producing the cloth wipe is a two-part process. The resulting cloth wipes can be used for either humans or animals, and can be either disposable or reusable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wet disposable towels are known in the art. Typically, they are made of fibrous paper and are stored in an airtight pouch such as an aluminum foil pouch lined with a protective liner such as polyethylene. When desired for use, a user tears open the pouch and removes the towel. Such towels are usually impregnated with an aqueous solution containing various additives such as perfumes, astringents, humectants and frequently menthol to give a cooling effect when applied to the skin. Towels of this sort are typically disposable and cannot be reused. Examples of such wipes include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,786,615; 3,889,804; 6,103,644; 6,616,641 B2; 7,198,780 B2; and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2003/0029740 A1; 2003/0194932 A1; 2003/0199838 A1; 2006/0237474 A1; and 2007/0166402 A1.

There are generally two types of printing for woven fabrics. The first is reactive printing, which is not effective for the present invention. Reactive printing processes can apply inks, or dyes, to fabrics.

A machine having rollers to apply the inks does not work well and fine details are not possible. The rollers to not apply the inks to the cloths efficiently, which then adversely effects the final end product. Further, reactive printing processes, which are the most widely used techniques in applying graphics to cloths and towels today. However, a reactive printing process is not useful for the instant invention because darker inks will almost always bleed in the final product.

Printing methods include direct printing (which also includes digital and transfer printing), discharge printing, and resist printing. In the case of direct printing the dye is applied to specific areas of a pretreated textile substrate, which can be white or pre-dyed (in light colors).

It is possible to employ discharge printing, if in the fixation process that follows the application of the printing paste there is local destruction of a dye applied previously. If the etched (discharge), previously dyed area becomes white, then the process is called white discharge. If, on the contrary, a colored pattern has to be obtained in the etched area after the destruction of the previously applied dye, then the process is called colored discharge. In this case the printing paste must contain a reduction-resistant dye along with the chemicals needed to destroy the previous one. As a result the pre-dyed background is destroyed according to a pattern and the dye, which is resistant to reduction, takes its place.

In the case of resist printing, a special printing paste (called “resist”) is printed onto certain areas of the fabric to prevent dye fixation. In the case of physical resist the material is printed with a difficult-to-wet resin that inhibits the penetration of a dye applied in a second stage. On the other hand, with a chemical resist, dye fixation is prevented by a chemical reaction. Depending on the way the process is carried out, one can speak of pre-printing, intermediate or over-printing resists. One common procedure is the wet-on-wet process in which the resist paste is initially printed, then the material is overprinted with full cover screen and finally fixed and washed. Over-printing resists can be applied only if the dye, already present in the previously dyed and dried fabric, is still in its unfixed form, as in the case of developing dyes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pre-packaged, wet towel, wherein said towel is customized. The towel of the invention is made of a woven cloth. The customization of the towel can be via printing or incorporation of a design into the woven cloth. The customization can be the incorporation of branded or corporate logos, characters, designs, events, words, sayings or pictures on or in the towel. The towel can be permeated with purified water, benzalkonium chloride, isothiazoline or a derivative thereof, glycerin, perfume, and/or lotions. The towel can be either disposable or washable and reusable.

The invention relates to method of producing a printed packaged cloth wipe comprising the steps of providing a finely-woven cotton cloth having a pile of less than about 1 mm; printing a design onto the cloth using a pigment printing process to form a printed cloth; drying the printed cloth; fixing the pigment in the printed cloth to form a dried, printed cloth; and packaging the dried, printed cloth in a metallic plastic Mylar package with a cleansing solution. The pigment printing process comprises the steps of preparing a color paste preparation; and applying the color past preparation to the finely-woven cotton cloth. The color paste preparation comprises the step of dispersing a pigment in a printing paste.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are included within this description, are within the scope of the invention, and are protected by the accompanying claims. Accordingly, the present invention is not restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows the packaging for the customized, woven, wet towel of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the towel of the invention showing the placement of a corporate logo, artwork, design, character, saying or picture.

FIG. 3 is an example of a character towel.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate two embodiments of a printing machine that can be used for the preparation of a printed and packaged cloth wipe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a customized, woven towel that can be pre-packaged as a wet towel. The woven material of the towel lends properties to a pre-packaged towel that are not found in ordinary pre-packaged paper wipes. Because the towel is made of a woven material, rather than plain paper or constructed from a web-like material, it is stronger and more durable. Further, the woven material can be used as a printing surface, or a design can be woven into the cloth. The towel of the invention is also washable and reusable, although it is inexpensive enough to be disposable or used over a limited period of time.

The term “woven” means a textile formed of interlaced threads, yarns, strips, fibrous material, or strands so as to form a fabric, cloth or material. The towel can be made of terry cloth, cotton, synthetic woven material, blends of different types of fibers, velour, microfiber, or wool. Typically, the towel is square in shape, although the towel could be made in other shapes, including, but not limited to, rectangles or circles.

The wet, woven towel of the invention is customized. The customization can be printed on the cloth, or woven into the cloth. The customization can be branded or corporate logos, characters, designs, events, words, sayings or pictures. Thus, the towel can be used for advertising a business, a function, an event, or as a personalized article.

The towel can be impregnated with purified water, benzalkonium chloride, isothiazoline or a derivative thereof, glycerin, perfumes, astringents, alcohols, humectants, menthol, antimicrobial compositions, disinfectants, lotions, emollients, medicaments, lubricants, skin protectants, tanning compositions, or cleansers.

The pre-packaged, customized wet towel can be used for a wide variety of purposes. For example, the towel can be used for personal cleansing or cooling; pet cleansing; cleaning or disinfecting objects, furniture or floors; or applying lotions or astringents.

The present invention can be prepared by any known method for manufacturing washcloths and towels. The pre-packaged wet towels would then be permeated with the desired liquid and packaged. The towels can be packaged individually or in multi-packs. If multi-packs are used, the towels can be removed for use one at a time. Alternatively, a multi-pack can hold a number of individually packaged towels. For single-towel removal from a multi-pack, the towels can be interfolded in a zig-zag pattern. Alternatively, some or all of the towels can be removed at one time from a multi-pack for use.

The wet towels of the invention can be vacuum-packed, which will increase the shelf-life of the towels. The vacuum-packaging can be an air-tight pouch, which can be lined with a protective liner. The package can be, but is not limited to, an aluminum-foil pouch or a metallic plastic mylar pouch. The protective liner can be, but is not limited to, polyethylene.

The wipes are made through a two part process, both of which must follow certain guidelines in order for the process to successfully produce the desired printed and packaged cloth wipe.

The first process is the act of actually producing the cloth used in the wipe. Preferably, the cloth will be a 100% cotton cloth that is woven to a very fine, almost non-existent pile. The optimal pile resembles a peach fuzz feeling. In one embodiment the pile is less than about 1 mm. In another embodiment the pile is between about 1 mm and about 2 mm. Although it is possible to use cloth with a longer pile, the printing effect will not show as well and can even look defective in the final end product.

To apply the desired design or graphics to the cloth, a pigment printing process is preferred. The pigment printing process can be performed with a machine using a knife or squeegee edge to apply the inks or fine detail to the cloth.

Printing, like dyeing, is a process for applying color to a substrate, However, instead of coloring the whole cloth, as in dyeing, print color is applied only to defined areas to obtain the desired pattern. This involves different techniques and different machinery than dyeing, but the physical and chemical processes that take place between the dye and the fiber can be considered analogous to dyeing.

A pigment printing process involves the following steps:

-   -   1) Preparing a color paste preparation. The dye or pigment is         generally not prepared as an aqueous liquor. The pigment is         general finely dispersed in a printing paste at a high         concentration. The concentrations vary by color.     -   2) The pigment paste is applied to the substrate, or cloth,         using one of several available techniques.     -   3) The fabric is dried.     -   4) The pigment is fixed onto the cloth.

The pigment paste is applied with a knife or squeegee edge, in order to obtain the desired level of detail of the design on the cloth. Printing via rollers or a reactive printing method has not been successful for the preparation of the cloth wipes as described.

The fabric is dried and then the printing is fixed with steam or hot air at a temperature of about 100° F. to about 110° F. Alternatively, the fixation process is carried out at a temperature of about 20° C. for a period of between about 1 day and 3 days. If necessary, the fixing process can be carried out for an even longer period of time.

Pigment printing, used for printing the cloth wipes, is an important process for printing substances made of or containing cellulose fibers. Pigments can be used on almost all types of textile substrates Pigment printing pastes generally contain a thickening agent, a binder and, if necessary, other compounds such as, but not limited to, fixing agents, plasticizers, and defoamers. One advantage of pigment printing is that the cloth wipes do not need to be washed and dried after fixation.

The process of preparing pigment pastes can be and variable, with the paste composition determined, not by the dye used, but by the printing technique, the substrate, the application and the fixation methods applied. Apart from the dye itself, printing pastes can contain a thickening agent, oxidizing agents (e.g., m-nitrobenzene sulfonate, sodium chlorate, and hydrogen peroxide), reducing agents (e.g., sodium dithionite, formaldehyde sulfoxylates, thiourea dioxide, tin(II) chloride), discharging agents for discharge printing (e.g., anthraquinone), hydrotropic substances (e.g., urea), dye solubilizers (e.g., polar organic solvents such as, but not limited to glycerin, ethylene glycol, butyl glycol, and thiodiglycol), and defoamers, (e.g., silicon compounds, organic and inorganic esters, and aliphatic esters).

All the necessary ingredients are measured out and mixed together in a mixing station. Since between 5 and 10 different printing pastes are usually necessary to print a single pattern (in some cases up to 20 different pastes can be applied), preparation of the pastes can be done at automatic stations. In modern plants, with the help of special devices, the exact amount of printing paste required is determined and prepared in continuous mode for each printing position, thus reducing leftovers at the end of each run.

It is common practice in many printing houses to filter the printing pastes before application, using for example a filter cloth. This operation is especially important for thickeners to prevent free particles from blocking the openings of the printing screens.

After the color paste is prepared, it is applied to specific areas of the textile using knife edge or squeegee application techniques. The cloth wipes are then dried and fixed as described above.

In other some machines all the colors are printed at the same time, as shown in FIG. 4. A number of stationary screens (from 8 to 12, but some machines are equipped with up to 24 different screens) are placed along the printing machine The screens are simultaneously lifted, while the textile, which is glued to a moving endless rubber belt, is advanced to the pattern-repeat point. Then the screens are lowered again and the paste is squeezed through the screens onto the fabric. The printed material moves forward one frame at each application and as it leaves the last frame it is finally dried and it is ready for fixation.

Flat-screen printing machines can be used for pigment printing with knife or squeegee edges, as shown in FIG. 5. The machine can be manual, semi-automatic or completely automatic. One type of machine, which is still commonly found in printing houses, can be described as follows. The fabric is first glued to a moving endless belt. A stationary screen at the front of the machine, is lowered onto the area that has to be printed and the printing paste is wiped with a squeegee. Afterwards the belt, with the fabric glued on it, is advanced to the pattern-repeat point and the screen is lowered again. The printed fabric moves forward step by step and passes through a dryer. The machine prints only one color at a time. When the first color is printed on the whole length of the fabric, the dried fabric is ready for the second cycle and so on until the pattern is completed.

In both cases, the cloth can be fed directly into the machine in one or more pieces. In another embodiment, the cloth can be fed from a roll of cloth for a continuous printing process.

After the cloth wipes are prepared and printed, they are package in a metallic plastic Mylar material with a cleansing solution. Other types of packaging materials were insufficient or resulting in an inferior or defective product with an almost non-existent shelf life. The Mylar packaging pouch is designed to contain the cloth wipe and liquid formula and to impart a longer shelf life to the product. The product is packaged under vacuum and is designed to keep the product fresh under vacuum and at a and under 78° F. for extended periods of time. The product is best used within 16-18 months, but can be longer in some cases.

EXAMPLES Example 1

The towel of the instant invention can be manufactured by any known means of preparing woven cloths. The customization can be incorporated into the cloth at the time of weaving or printed on the cloth after the manufacture is complete. Next, the cloth can be soaked in water or other desired liquid composition. After the cloth is moistened, it can be packaged via vacuum-packaging means. The vacuum-packaging can be an air-tight aluminum-foil pouch, which can be lined with a protective liner. The protective liner can be polyethylene.

Example 2

A general cloth wipe cleansing solution can contain purified water, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) (an antimicrobial), glycerin, a broad spectrum antimicrobial such as, but not limited to Kathon™, and fragrance. These wipes have a wide variety of uses. They are useful to clean up and cool off in almost any situation. They can be used to clean up on the go, while traveling, camping, at a sporting event, in the house, at the park, or almost any place. They are useful for parents with kids, athletes, hospitals, restaurants and bars, among others. In addition, they can be customized for private label use, corporate premiums, festivals, fundraisers for schools, sporting events, theme parks, radio stations, airlines, car washes, casinos, golf courses, health clubs, banks, and almost any situation.

Example 3

A cloth wipe for paws of dogs and cats can contain a cleansing solution that contains: purified water, 3-iodo-2-propynylbutyl carbamate (IPBC), Kathon™, citric acid, American Silver's Antibacterial Product (ASAP), aloe vera, and fragrance. 3-

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that such disclosures have been presented by way of example only, and are not limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Having now fully described the invention, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be performed within a wide and equivalent range of conditions, formulations and other parameters without affecting the scope of the invention or any embodiment thereof. All patents, patent applications, and publications cited herein are fully incorporated by reference in their entirety. 

1. A method of producing a printed packaged cloth wipe comprising the steps of: (a) providing a finely-woven cotton cloth having a pile of less than about 1 mm; (b) printing a design onto the cloth using a pigment printing process to form a printed cloth; (c) drying the printed cloth; (d) fixing the pigment in the printed cloth to form a dried, printed cloth; and (e) packaging the dried, printed cloth in a metallic plastic mylar package with a cleansing solution.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pigment printing process comprises the steps of: (i) preparing a color paste preparation; and (ii) applying the color past preparation to the finely-woven cotton cloth.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the color paste preparation comprises the step of: (1) dispersing a pigment in a printing paste.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the applying step is performed using a knife or a squeegee.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the color paste preparation comprises a thickening agent and a binder.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the color past preparation further comprises one or more of a fixing agent, a plasticizer, or a defoamer.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixing the pigment step is performed with hot air for about 10 minutes to about 30 minutes. It is fixed at a temperature between 110-110 degrees.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixing the pigment step is performed at about 20° F. for a period of time between about 1 day to about 3 days.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleansing solution comprises water, at least one antimicrobial solution, and fragrance.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleansing solution comprises water, at least one antimicrobial solution, citric acid, a softening agent, and fragrance. 